The Karun Thakar Fund aims to enrich the fields of Asian and African textiles and dress by supporting meaningful and innovative study and practice, foregrounding fresh perspectives and ground-breaking research in under-resourced subject areas.
The V&A holds one of the largest museum collections of Asian textiles and dress in the world, and the extensive private collections of Karun Thakar span the textiles and dress of both Asia and Africa. Using both collections as points of departure, the Fund promotes materials-based, object-led learning and advocates for new approaches to the research and interpretation of historic materials.
The Karun Thakar Fund is made possible by the contributions of its generous donors. The V&A is grateful for their support.
The Fund will return with the next round of Project Grants in Spring 2028
In 2025, The Karun Thakar Fund celebrated five years of support for African and Asian textile and dress studies and practice. The Selection Committee is extraordinarily proud of the Fund’s impact so far, and is looking forward to continuing our work after a pause of two years (2026 and 2027) to focus on a major shared project between Karun Thakar and the V&A.
Scholarship Awards
The Karun Thakar Fund offers one-time Scholarship Awards of up to £10,000 to university students focusing on any aspect of Asian or African textiles and dress. Scholarship Awards are offered every other year, and multiple awards are available in each round. The last round of Scholarship Awards was allocated in 2025.
Scholarship Awards are intended for use towards tuition fees or maintenance/study costs. Undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students attending any accredited university worldwide are eligible to apply, provided they can establish their research/practice is tangibly linked to Asian or African textiles and dress.
Project Grants
The Karun Thakar Fund offers one-time Project Grants of up to £5,000 (£10,000 in exceptional circumstances) in support of projects focused on any aspect of Asian or African textiles or dress. Project Grants are offered every other year, and multiple grants are available in each round. The last round of Project Grants was allocated in 2024.
Project proposals are especially welcomed from emerging/early-career researchers, practitioners, curators, and community leaders, as well as small, not-for-profit creative and/or research teams, grassroot collectives and community-based arts organisations operating either in the UK or internationally, provided the applicant(s) can establish their project is tangibly linked to Asian or African textiles/dress.
The Selection Committee is particularly keen to support locally rooted projects proposed by those who have not previously received significant funding in support of their work.
Project Grants are intended for use towards discrete project costs. The total amount of funding awarded will be decided by the Selection Committee based on the applicant's submitted budget plan. Applicants may need to find additional sources of funding to meet their project's total costs.
Selection committee
- Karun Thakar, Collector & Fund founder
- Gus Casely-Hayford, Director, V&A East
- Christine Checinska, Senior Curator, Africa and Diaspora: Textiles and Fashion, V&A
- Ben Evans, Editor, HALI Magazine
- Avalon Fotheringham, Curator, South Asia, V&A
- Lulu Lytle, Director, Soane Britain
- Divia Patel, Senior Curator, South Asia, V&A
- Siddhartha Shah, John Wieland 1958 Director Mead Art Museum, Amherst College
Blog
The Karun Thakar Fund blog brings you the latest updates throughout the year including calls for applications, winner announcements and profiles of awardees.
Contact: karunthakarfund@vam.ac.uk